


Exceptional

by Glacier_Llane



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Reader, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-22 14:30:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13168899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glacier_Llane/pseuds/Glacier_Llane
Summary: Haytham thinks it would be awkward to properly introduce you to Shay.Shay feels as though he's intruding on your relationship with Haytham.You try to prove them both wrong.[Rating will go up and more tags will be added as the fic progresses. Explicit chapters are marked with an (E)]





	1. Excitement and Concerns

**Author's Note:**

> oops I started another fic....... no matter.
> 
> These first few chapters are going to be connected (as somewhat of a prologue), the rest would most likely be snippets and can be read as separate oneshots. At least, that's what I plan to do. Let's just see how it goes, my ideas fluctuate a lot, hehe.
> 
> This is not set in a specific time and does not include any specific events.
> 
> As usual, (y/n) is your name.  
> (l/n) is your last name.

He had been reluctant to tell you at first. Not because of the fact that he was seeing another person— you had agreed that your relationship with him was an open one, but because the fact that he was seeing a man. 

He was scared that you'd be disgusted— or worse; that you wouldn't want to see him again, but the reality was quite the opposite. You had been thrilled when he told you he was seeing someone, and even more so as he told you it was Shay, of all people. You swept his worries away by giving him an excited kiss. 

You had only met Shay once before. It was a business meeting, but you could already tell that you would get along with him just fine, given the time. You had caught a glimpse of his charm and snarky sense of humour that made him quite the interesting person. 

“He’s staying here this weekend,” Haytham announced, whilst undressing himself for bed, “For business reasons,” He added quickly. You gave a chuckle, sitting up on the bed to get a better view of him. “Is it… an inconvenience?” He muttered reluctantly. 

You shook your head. “Not at all,” You offered him a warm smile, “Will _I_ be an inconvenience to you?” 

“No, _heavens,_ of course not,” Haytham said incredulously, he walked to you and pecked you on the forehead. You smiled and pulled him into bed with you. He relaxed himself and manoeuvred himself to pull the duvet over the both of you.  “Does he know about us?” You asked after a moment of silence, staring at the ceiling. Haytham hummed groggily, it seems he was already drifting off to sleep.

“Of course he does,” He spoke, “Though he still feels like he’s intruding on our relationship, despite my best efforts to explain the condition of it,” Haytham turned to lay down on his side, facing away from you. “Then he doesn’t mind me?” You flipped yourself over to stare down at his face. 

“Why are you so excited to see him? Haven’t you met before?” Haytham chuckled at your grinning face. “I believe it was you who told me not to answer a question with a question, Haytham,” You scolded.

“Goodness, (y/n), no. He does not mind any of this,” He shoved you a little so you’d lay down, you obliged but didn’t shut your eyes. “Go to sleep, (y/n)—“

“Then he can share our bed if he wishes,” You said with the steadiest tone you can manage while containing your laughter. 

“(y/n)!” Haytham hissed, he turned to you and lightly swatted your thigh, “Perish such untoward thoughts!” He scolded "You've only just met him!" You just shrugged and snuggled up to him. “Just a thought, darling,” You muttered and kissed him on the lips. 

“ _Good night, (y/n)_ ,” He bid, though it sounded more akin to a command for you to sleep. With one final chuckle, you submitted yourself to sleep. 

You couldn’t wait to _really_ meet Shay Cormac.


	2. Awkward Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inescapable awkward conversations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still do not know what to make of this story but I'm in a writing mood.

“Master Cormac has just arrived,” The steward of Kenway house reported as he poured you and Haytham your afternoon tea. You looked up at Haytham excitedly and he shot a nervous glance back at you. 

“Send him in, then,” Haytham told the steward, who nodded and made his way out of the room. “Why are you so eager to meet him?” He repeated the question he asked you only two nights ago, “You’ve met before.”

“Yes, but it wasn’t quite a meeting… It was mostly for business,” You lifted up your cup of tea and contently sipped it. Your first meeting with Shay was only to discuss trade routes, in Boston Harbour. You own a small fishing business that utilises safe passages for obvious reasons. It was a modest income compared to Haytham’s, but you loved running it nonetheless. 

You also have your own residence that is walking distance from Kenway house, but you only stay there whilst Haytham is away from Boston. This house is practically your home, and your actual house your second home. 

You heard the door open and looked up as Shay entered. He walked slowly and Haytham offered the seat beside him, which Shay cautiously took. There was a silence as the three of you busied yourself with your own cups of tea. 

…

_Well, this is awkward,_ you thought. But the awkwardness was a tad ridiculous that it put a small smile on your face. 

“Afternoon, Miss (l/n),” Shay cleared his throat and looked anywhere else but in your eyes. A small laughter escaped you. “Please, no need for such formalities. Call me (y/n),” You offered, and he only nodded in response. Haytham was particularly quiet as well, avoiding the both of you and instead focused on stirring sugar into his tea. 

Shay was significantly more timid than when you first met him. Perhaps because he now knows you have something in common; that you both share the grand master’s bed. None of the men before you found that notion as funny as you did however, if the notion even got to them at all. It seems you have to be the one to alleviate the situation. 

“So what brings you here, Shay?” You broke the deafening silence. Shay was a little surprised by the sudden question, but he recovered quickly. “I have matters to attend to here in Boston. Nothing exciting,” He replied. 

“Surely you’re not spending the entirety of your stay attending to business,” Haytham gave you a warning stare. Shay looked to the side and rubbed the back of his neck, humming in thought. 

“I wouldn’t want to… intrude on your activities here,” He mumbled timidly. Shay is absolutely endearing! You covered your mouth with your hand trying to contain your mirth. “Oh, on the contrary, Shay. I’d like to take you to the harbour if you find the time,” He turned to gaze curiously at you, “Did you take the Morrigan here?” 

“Of course, I’d rather take her than horseback anytime,” Ah, there is his confidence back. “I’d love to accompany you to the harbour sometime, (y/n),” He gave a glimpse of a smile. 

“Excellent! Well, if you’d excuse me I have to get back to work,” You went to stand, “Join us for dinner later, will you, Shay?” A nod and you were off.

A silence washed over the room. Shay leaned back in his seat, sighing and closing his eyes. A sudden weight rested itself on his knee. “How was your trip?” Haytham said quietly, barely above a whisper. Shay peeked his eyes open to see a soft expression and a hand resting on his knee. 

“It was okay, I suppose,” Shay knew the string of words that would come next. 

“I’ve missed you,” Haytham said softly, the hand on his knee gripped a bit. A huff of air escaped Shay’s smiling lips and he sat up, placing his own hand over the one on his knee. “You always say that,” Shay nuzzled Haytham’s neck, gaining him a chuckle. 

“Only because it’s the truth.”

* * *

“Late again is he?” You spoke, walking over to sit across Shay on the dining table. The seat at the head of the table was empty. Shay had already started eating— out of habit no doubt, and you decided to join him. 

“He’s probably caught in a book or some paperwork that he has to finish,” He spoke, “Or who knows, he could be tryin’ to avoid us,” Shay said jokingly. Well, he was in a considerably better mood than earlier. You looked up at him curiously and he went to apologise but you stopped him. “Don’t, Shay. There’s no need to apologise,” You smiled, getting back to your food. “Besides, he could very well be.” 

“It is imprudent to speak of owner of the house, especially when he’s not present,” Haytham’s crisp voice echoed in the dining hall. “Speak of the devil and he shall appear,” You and Shay looked at each other and chuckled. Haytham sat on the head of the table and raised an eyebrow at you. “Comparing me to the devil now, tsk, tsk,” He scolded playfully. 

“Please sir, the only thing devilish about you is that you’re devilishly handsome,” Shay quipped. Haytham’s fork missed the potatoes in shock. You swallowed your food and tried to contain your laughter. Shay was also biting his lip to stop his laughter. “Mind your cheek, _the both of you,_ ” Haytham stabbed the potatoes with his fork frustratedly, though you could see a faint hint of a blush dust his cheeks.

The rest of the evening went with a pleasant air, you traded jokes with Shay and Haytham was silently glad that the awkwardness of the three of you had faded away. Finally, you excused yourself to get ready for bed, pecking Haytham’s temple before you left. 

“I leave you two for one second and you’ve already allied against me,” Haytham sighed in mock exasperation. Shay gave him a smirk. “She’s fun,” He said as he drank. 

“A trait you share, no doubt,” Haytham remarked, finishing the last of his food. 

“You know what else we share?” Shay was sure he’d be dead after this. “Oh?” Haytham asked curiously. 

“ _Your bed,_ ” He burst out in full laughter. 

“Shay!” Haytham hit his arm. 


	3. Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally went to Boston Harbour with Shay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings: Sharks, Shark hunting
> 
> Murdering sharks is bad yo. This is just fictional shark hunting ok. no killing sharks in real life pls. 
> 
> ANYWAY I hope ya'll have a happy new year!

“Perhaps we could take her shark hunting,” Shay looked up at the mast of the Morrigan from your position on the docks. You turned to him with a wide grin. 

“Could we?” you said giddily. He chuckled at your expression. “Of course. If you want, (y/n),” he said politely. 

“ _If I want_? Are you being serious?” You said with an insurmountable amount of cheer. Of course you would love to board such a lovely vessel. 

You only heard Haytham talk about how he and Shay manoeuvred it to face bigger ships than her. You hadn’t had the chance to actually board it due to Haytham’s unfortunate fear of awkward situations and your lack of necessity to travel.

“Come on then,” He motioned for you to follow him to the Morrigan. He hopped aboard and held your hand to steady you as you boarded. You were glad you wore pants today instead of a dress. 

“And who might this beautiful lady be?” A man with a boisterous voice approached you as you climbed the stairs to the quarterdeck. He took your hand and bowed as he kissed it. You giggled at his enthusiasm. “(y/n). You must be Christopher Gist,” You spoke and his face lit up in recognition. “Oh? _(y/n) (l/n)_?” He let go of your hand and smiled cheerfully. “What brings your gracious presence here on the Morrigan?”

“Quit bothering her, Gist!” You heard Shay said with a laugh. “She’s come to go shark hunting with us.” 

“Oh! Quite the adventurous spirit, aren’t you, miss?” Gist laughed and stepped out of the way to let Shay take the wheel. “Well I hope you have the heart for it! I remember that one time when…” He continued to tell you a story that, judging from Shay’s reaction, has been told many times. You giggled at his energetic personality and made yourself comfortable leaning on the railing to Shay’s left. He looked at you with a smile before giving orders to his crew to set sail for the open sea. 

The Morrigan was even more breathtaking from the quarterdeck, you realise. Full view of her red sails and her faithful crew working about on deck. No wonder Shay loved his vessel so much. 

After a while, Shay saw a great white leap out of the water to his left and found the perfect place to hunt. The water was mostly calm and you could see the great white swim near the surface. “Ready the whaleboat, boys!” You heard him shout to the crew, who replied with a strew of ‘Aye, captain!’s. Shay strode down to his quarters and you briefly pondered why. The crew took out the harpoons from under decks and you walked to the main deck to watch the whaleboat be lowered onto the ocean. You turned as you heard Shay step out of the captain’s cabin. 

You raised an eyebrow at his outfit. “What?” He retorted, checking himself if anything is out of place. “Nothing,” You smiled and reached out to touch the whale skin on his shoulder. “You look nice,” You said quietly, only for him to hear. His eyes widened and a blush dusted his cheeks as he looked away. You could see Gist standing on the quarterdeck from the corner of your eye. Seems like he’s trying hard not to laugh at Shay. 

“The boats are ready sir,” You heard a crew member call to him, snapping him out of his reverie. He smiled and motioned for you to follow him to the boat. “I had hoped you had the heart for it, Miss (l/n)!” Gist cheered and you narrowed your eyebrows at him in confusion. You turned to face Shay who is holding out his hand to help you in the whaleboat. 

“What?” You inquired in surprise. 

“What fun would it be to just watch? You didn’t come on board the Morrigan for nothing, (y/n),” He said with a grin, waving his hand to invite you down. You smiled, taking his hand and hopping down onto the boat. “Make yourself comfortable, miss,” the crewman on the boat said, gesturing to the empty seat in front of him. He was busy sharpening a few harpoons. Another man was in the back, getting ready to row the boat. Shay stepped to the front and they all nodded to the crew on the Morrigan who cheered on. When the boat was in position, Shay took a harpoon the crewman offered and glanced at you. 

“Hold on tight!” He said, but before you could even ask hold on where he tossed the harpoon and it lodged into the shark, which immediately swam away as fast as it could, pulling the boat with it. You instinctively clutched his coat as you were jerked forwards. “Hey there,” He looked back at you and greeted with a laugh, looking at your shocked face. He went to crouch down on the helm to steady himself. The wind raced against your face and hair and a thrill ran to your spine. Shay chuckled and casually tossed another harpoon, weakening the great white significantly. You hear the cheers of the crew praising their captain of the good shot. The shark dived down and Shay turned around to catch you in his arms as the boat stopped abruptly. 

“You okay there?” Shay asked with a smile as the boat settled on the water. You heard the other men chuckle at seeing you wide eyed and clutching onto Shay for dear life.

“You might want to hold on a little bit closer, lass,” The one holding the harpoons said and Shay jokingly scolded him. The other man at the back burst into laughter and you let go of Shay’s coat. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you just sat a little closer,” He spoke again, winking at you. Shay’s scold was cut short as he saw the shark emerge and relentlessly shot another harpoon at it. You were pulled forward once more as the boat began to move so you ended up clutching onto Shay’s coat again. A few more precise shots and the shark was easily taken down. Shay himself was thrown forwards as the boat stopped once more, but he recovered and inspected you to make sure you were alright. Cheers sounded from the crew both on the Morrigan and on the whaleboat at the successful catch. Soon the beast was pulled up onto the ship to take all its goods. Shay helped you back onto the ship and you walked past the now dead shark, smelling the foul scent of blood. 

Shay sensed your discomfort and guided you to the captain’s cabin. He opened the door and motioned for you to enter. 

The inside was not quite what you expected from a man like Shay. You didn’t think Shay would pay attention to decoration or details in his quarters. You smirked as you saw the Templar flags hanging beside the door. Oh yes, you were made well aware of the nature of their work, ever since you had begun your relationship with Haytham. You didn’t really let it bother you, though perhaps you’ve taken extra caution when you travel alone, making sure you were always in a public place where the _shadows_ cannot get to you. 

You didn’t realise Shay had begun changing out of his whaling outfit and was now in the process of taking his undershirt off. He had his back to you and you noticed the many scars that adorn it. You walked over to him and noticed a particularly nasty scar, from some sort of bullet no doubt. Without thinking you reached out and poked it with your index finger. He tensed up _instantly_ , freezing on the spot. 

“Haytham must _love_ exploring you,” You muttered, scanning his scarred back. You could imagine Haytham trailing his lips on the jagged edges of the mended skin. Shay’s face was completely red now, he even felt the tips of his ears burning. “Forgive me, I was mesmerised.” You stepped back. He let out a long breath.

“Why do you do that?” He asked quietly. Any quieter and you would not have heard him. 

“Do what?”

“Act as if you… like me,” His eyes darted to the side. 

“It’s because _I do_ ,” You said simply, “And I know why Haytham does as well.” His eyebrows rose in question and you giggled. “You’re refreshing, Shay,” _And incredibly adorable,_ you added in your head, “Like the wind blowing in your hair on a summer day,”

“Thank you, I suppose…” He looked down and fumbled with his shirt buttons. After he finished he looked up at you, seeming like he wanted to say something but is reluctant to. 

“Could you… _not_ watch me change my pants?” 

You burst out laughing and turned around to give him some privacy.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prologue ends here. I hope to continue this as a series of one shots maybe idk we'll see. I already have several roughly written chapters.


End file.
